The invention relates to an improvement in apparatus used in repairing and straightening automobile and truck bodies and frames, particularly those of unitized sheet metal construction in which the former assembly of individual moldings and parts mounted on a skeletal base frame is replaced by unitized sheet metal subassemblies joined together by welding and/or bolting so as to structurally support one another.
The unitized body/frame design for vehicles is a comparatively recent development. Static and dynamic load transfer between the unitized sheet metal body assemblage and undercarriage wheel mounts occurs through load transfer members. The load transfer members become primary anchor points and positional references in repairing body and frame damage after collision. These load transfer members comprise the suspension members of the vehicle, i.e. shock absorbers, springs, struts and/or a combination of these types of suspension members. The suspension members are mounted within the vehicle fender well between the front axle suspension mounts and an encased protrusion of the fender into the engine compartment. The fender protrusion exhibits a substantially flat, almost horizontal upper surface through which the upper mountings for the suspension extend and are secured by bolts. These bolts provide a means for attaching an adaptor or anchor element for cooperation with a vehicle body and frame straightening and repair apparatus.
In vehicle body and frame repair shops, various floor frame structures have been used to mount and hold vehicle bodies in fixed reference positions. An assortment of jacks, chain-pulls and winches, along with various clamps and locks, have been necessary in applying the forces and combinations of forces required to restore basic positioning and alignment of body parts. Most of the commonly used equipment requires substantial time and labor in making and using a number of setups in procedural sequences in order to apply the necessary forces and combinations of forces, at the appropriate angular relationship, to each positional reference on the body, as necessary. Not infrequently, repeated alternating setups were necessary to achieve the desired positional relationships between or among several body parts. These repeated alternating procedures were expensive in terms of equipment requirements and in terms of labor cost.
Moreover, in repairing unitized automobile bodies made principally of thin sheet metal, such former equipment and procedures presented further difficulties. With such vehicles, retention of body/frame strength in the repaired state, particularly when body repairs required repeated restorative bendings of the sheet metal through extended angular ranges (to remove crumpled body areas) depended, critically, upon avoidance of metal fatigue. Additionally, misalignment of reference points of the body/frame can result in future mechanical failure which can be manifested as uneven tire wear, steering deficiencies, structural body part misalignment, etc.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an adaptor or anchor which facilitates precise positioning of basic body/frame reference points and sections in a single setup for complete two and three dimensional alignment and positioning as appropriate directional forces and combinations of directional forces are applied.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adaptor or anchor for use in straightening and realigning vehicle body/frame parts which substantially obviates the need to alternate between or among several sequenced setup procedures which require connection to the same point for straightening procedures requiring different angular directions.
It is still another object of this invention to minimize the necessity of storing and of taking time to set up and return to storage a number of separate force applicators and attachments each time a new job, or step or sequence of steps of a job, is to be done, and after a job is completed.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a repair and realignment apparatus of efficient, economical design, which can be quickly set up and used, repositioned and reused repeatedly without removal from the body/frame reference point.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a basic apparatus adaptable for use with different size and model vehicles having an extended versatility in its application to assorted types of body/frame damage.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.